vasion of the British Isles. She did not hide it, hoping
thereby to make the British keep their fleets at home in self-defence.
But though, as always happens, there were people weak enough to want to
keep the Navy close beside the coast and stupidly divided up, so that
plenty of timid folk could see the ships in front of them, just where
the enemy with one well handled fleet could beat them bit by bit, Pitt
paid no attention at all to any silly nonsense of the kind. He and
Anson knew, of course, that, when you have the stronger fleet, the only
right way is to defend yourself by attacking the enemy before he can
attack you. So, instead of wasting force at home, Pitt sent joint
expeditions all over the seaboard world, wherever they were needed to
guard or make the Empire overseas; while he sent fleets to beat or
blockade the French fleets off their own, not off the British, coasts.

The dreaded invasion never came off; and the only two French fleets
that did get out were destroyed: the one from the Mediterranean off
Lagos in the south of Portugal, and the one from the west coast of
France in Quiberon Bay.

Boscawen's fleet was refitting and taking in stores at Gibraltar when
one of his look-out frigates signalled up to the Governor's house,
where Boscawen was dining, that the French were slipping through the
Strait by hugging the African shore under cover of the dark. The
British flagship had her sails unbent (that is, unfastened altogether).
Every vessel had her decks and hold lumbered up with stores. Half the
crews were ashore; and if a spy had taken a look round he would have
thought the enemy could never have been overhauled. But the Navy is
never caught napping. In the twinkling of an eye Gibraltar was full of
British blue-jackets racing down to their ships, leaping on board, and
turning their skilful hands to the first job waiting to be done.
Within two hours Boscawen was off hotfoot after the French, hoisting in
boats, stowing the last of the lumbering stores, and clearing decks for
action. Overhauling La Clue near Lagos, off the coast of Portugal, he
ranged up alongside, flagship to flagship. But the French, fighting
with equal skill and courage, beat him off. Falling astern he came
abreast of the gallant _Centaure_, which had already fought four
British men-of-war. Being now a mere battered hulk she surrendered.
Then Boscawen, his damage repaired, pushed ahead again. La Clue, whose
fleet was the smal